Will the US Supreme Court start looking to foreign countries for guidance on this point? Apparently, five American states also allow these visits. The claimed benefit is that it makes it easier to control prisoners. But what doesn't get discussed is that this might make prison less of a punishment and thus reduce deterrence. What is the net effect? I don't know. But it seems something that should be discussed. Some argue that criminal predisposition is genetic so there is also the issue of whether certain types of people, particularly those with long violent criminal histories, should have kids.

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Perhaps the century and a half experiment in penitentiaries should be regarded as a failure and the old methods of public humiliation and public flogging for minor offenses and the death penalty for theft and major offenses should be reinstated.